Method and apparatus for facilitating user interaction with a measurement instrument using a display-based control knob

• US 6,229,456 B1
• Filed: 08/10/1998
• Issued: 05/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tektronix Incorporated (Fortive Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Tektronix Incorporated (Fortive Corp.)
• Inventors: Huff, Larry Joe, Engholm, Kathryn A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Horabik, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Edwards, Jr., Timothy
• Application Number:
  US09/131,900
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 341/34, 341/192, 341/35, 345/173, 345/118, 345/434, 345/974
• US Class Current: 341/35
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/2516 Modular arrangements for computer based systems; using personal computers (PC's), e.g. "virtual instruments"
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/974 Slider control as on-screen object in operator interface

Abstract

A method and apparatus for facilitating user interaction with a measurement instrument displays a control knob glyph corresponding to a user-adjustable parameter of the measurement instrument, the control knob glyph having an indicator and a partially circular drag area through which the indicator can be rotated. Inputs indicating amounts of rotational movement for the indicator can be received, and the location of the indicator within the drag area and the value of the parameter changed in response to such inputs.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating user interaction with a measurement instrument comprising the steps of:

displaying a control knob glyph corresponding to a user-adjustable parameter of the measurement instrument, the control glyph having both an indicator and a partially circular drag area through which the indicator can be rotated in both a clockwise and a counterclockwise manner as a first portion of the control knob glyph and both an increment and a decrement button as a second portion of the control knob glyph;

receiving an input indicating an amount of rotational movement for the indicator; and

changing the location of the indicator within the partially circular drag area and a value of the parameter in response to the input.

3. The method of claims 1 or 2, wherein the indicator comprises a substantially triangular wedge.

4. The method of claims 1 or 2, wherein the indicator comprises a substantially circular dimple.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the input includes receiving an indication as to whether the indicator was selected, the drag area was selected, or one of the buttons of the second portion was selected.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising changing the location of the identifier within the drag area by a first amount if the portion of the drag area was selected and by a second amount if one of the buttons of the second portion was selected, wherein the first amount is greater than the second amount.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating a location of the indicator by a change amount in response to continued selection of either the drag area or one of the buttons of the second portion; and

accelerating the change amount in response to either the drag area or one of the buttons of the second portion being selected for greater than a threshold period of time.

8. The method of claims 1 or 2, further comprising displaying a label associated with the control knob glyph to indicate to a user a current parameter being represented by the control knob glyph and the value of the parameter.

2. A method for facilitating user interaction with a measurement instrument comprising the steps of:

displaying a control knob glyph corresponding to a user-adjustable parameter of the measurement instrument, the control knob glyph having an indicator and a partially circular drag area through which the indicator can be rotated in both a clockwise and a counterclockwise manner;

receiving an input indicating an amount of rotational movement for the indicator;

changing the location of the indicator within the drag area and a value of the parameter in response to the input if the desired change is greater than a particular value.

9. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon a series of instructions which, when executed by a processor of a measurement instrument, facilitate user interaction with the measurement instrument by causing the processor to:

display a control glyph corresponding to a user-adjustable parameter of the measurement instrument, the control knob glyph having both an indicator and a partially circular drag area through which the indicator can be rotated in both a clockwise and a counterclockwise manner as a first portion of the control knob glyph and both an increment and a decrement button as a second portion of the control knob glyph;

receive an input indicating an amount of rotational movement for the indicator; and

change the location of the indicator within the drag area and a value of the parameter in response to the input.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to accelerate a change in the location of the indicator in response to either the drag area or one of the buttons of the second portion being selected for greater than a threshold period of time.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the receiving of the input includes receiving an indication as to whether the indicator was selected, the drag area was selected, or one of the buttons of the second portion was selected.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to change the location of the indicator within the drag area by a first amount if the portion of the drag area was selected and by a second amount if one of the buttons of the second portion was selected, wherein the first amount is greater than the second amount.

13. A measurement apparatus comprising:

a display device; and

a control subsystem coupled to the display device to

provide a control knob glyph on the display device corresponding to a user-adjustable parameter of the measurement apparatus, the control knob glyph having both an indicator and a partially circular drag area through which the indicator can be rotated in both a clockwise and a counterclockwise manner as a first portion of the control knob glyph and both an increment and a decrement button as a second portion of the control knob glyph,

receive an input indicating an amount of rotational movement for the indicator, and

change the location of the indicator within the drag area and a value of the parameter in response to the input.

14. The measurement apparatus of claim 13, wherein the control subsystem is further to accelerate a change in the location of the indicator in response to either the drag area or one of the buttons of the second portion being selected for greater than a threshold period of time.

15. The measurement apparatus of claim 13, wherein the increment button and the decrement button each include an image to indicate to a user the result of selection of one of the increment or decrement buttons.

16. The measurement apparatus of claim 13, wherein the receiving of the input includes receiving an indication as to whether the indicator was selected, the drag area was selected, or one of the buttons of the second portion was selected.

17. The measurement apparatus of claim 16, wherein the control subsystem is further to change the location of the identifier within the drag area by a first amount if the portion of the drag area was selected and by a second amount if one of the buttons of the second portion was selected, wherein the first amount is greater than the second amount.